his invitation, in hopes of being serviceable to him.

We then left the Piazza, and proceeded to a niserable house near the Seven Dials, in which, on the second floor, was Mr. Canvas's apartment. As soon as the street-door was opened, Tom defired he might go up first to shew me the way, and it was with the utmost difficulty I followed him; for the stairs were so dark, narrow, winding and full of chasms, that I was in danger of breaking my legs every. step I took. When we arrived at the top, my guide opened a rotten door, which admitted the light through numberless crevices, and discovered a small dirty room, decorated with pictures, which helped to conceal the cracks in the walls, that had once been white. But my attention was foon taken off from inanimate objects, and fixed on living ones-my friend's wife and children.

Mrs. Canvass is tall, and form'd with the utmost delicacy; her complexion is extreme fair; she has two blue eyes, bien fendus, a very prerty mouth, and light glossy hair. She is indeed a perfect beauty, but appeared in so unbecoming a dishabillé, that I was at the same time both charm'd and shock'd. She was without stays, in a ragged greasy bed-gown tied loosely over a ragged,

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ged, greasy, short, red petticoat, which gave me an opportunity of feeing the finest legs and feet I ever beheld, though disguised by green stockings full of holes, and black leather shoes down at heel. An old muslin handkerchief was all her head-dress. She was fitting in a low, tottering chair, when we entered the room, with a large fine girl at her breast, and a rose-lip'd boy about five years old, stood innocently smiling with a cherubic countenance, at her knees, and playing with his fifter's little finger, covered only with a short dirty shirt. Mrs. Canvass gave me her chair, the only one in the room, fetched a joint stool for her husband, and intreated us to fit with the politeness of a princess. As Tom was expected to dinner, the cloth was laid. It was a shabby bit of coarse sheeting, and on it was placed half a cold shoulder of mutton in a black and yellow earthen dish; accompanied by a couple of wooden trenchers, a small quantity of coarfe falt in a play-bill, a pewter-pot of porter, and a quarter of a peck loaf. The eldest daughter, a very fine girl about eight years of age, in a pink jacket full of flits and spots, was boiling a few radish tops in a glazed pipkin over a handful of fire: and a boy a year younger, was grinding fome ochre in one of his father's MonmouthAreer Areet waistcoats, with a narrow gold edging, which served him for a coat.

Mrs. Canvass and her children hung round the room in various shapes. - Here she was drawn like a sleeping Venus, with her two fons, like Cupids; the one throwing an azure mantle over her; the other endeavouring to peep under it. There she was crowned with a garland of flowers by her daughter who attended her, like a Grace: in a third piece she was a Diana with her nymphs; in a fourth a Madonna with her holy infant; in a fifth a Magdalen, and in a fixth a Lucretia.-All these pieces were executed in so masterly a manner, that I could have gazed on them with the highest fatisfaction, had not the wretchedness of my friend and his family engrossed my attention. I was pained to see so much merit and industry in the husband, fo much beauty and modesty in the wife, and fo much innocence and chearfulness in the children, unadmired and unrewarded. I called the youngest boy to me; gave him a guinea, and bid him carry it to his mama, that she might buy cloaths for him. The poor woman blushed her thanks, and by so doing added new lustre to her charms; while Tom, whose heart overflowed with gratitude, desired her to procure a chicken

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chicken and a bottle of wine for my dinner : I could scarce hinder her from flying to obey her husband-" Hold, faid I, Mr. Canvass, I "am engaged to day; but as I have a leisure "half hour, give me leave to ask you a few

questions, not out of an idle curiosity, but " with a fincere intention to serve you. Your " performances, I think, deserve the highest en; " comium, and I commend your fondness for fo " amiable a wife, and such fine children.-But "why don't you vary your objects ? - Alas! " Sir, faid Tom, I would willingly vary my ob" jects, but no body will give me an opportu"nity by fitting: besides, this room is not pro

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per for the reception of company. "should not have invited you to it, I assure you, "Sir, had not my vanity got the better of my " pride: for I longed to shew my pictures to a " man of real judgment, not confidering that " while I exhibited them, I should expofe my" felf."" Why don't you begin with land

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scapes, faid I, or history pieces? I know you " are capable of excelling in those branches; " you might finish them by yourself, and present " them to the public afterwards."" Your " advice, Sir, is very good, and I would follow "it with all my heart, but as I told you be"fore

"fore, nothing that's English, though ever fo "well executed, will be relished by the Beau"monde. Once, indeed, I painted a landscape

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" for a dealer, who gave me two guineas for it, and fold it for fifty, by telling every body "'twas a Pouffin: I also finished a few heads " for him, which he put off for the productions "of Rembrandt; but he gave me so paltry a

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a fum for them, that I could not afford to sup

ply him. I should be glad to take a trip to " Italy, meerely for a name, but cannot think " of leaving my Peggy and her children, whom " I fondly love, and would work for with plea" sure night and day because they are good creatures, and can make themselves happy " without the superfluities of life." - This last speech of Tom's affected me very much: I agreed immediately to fit for my own picture, and ordered two landscapes for my library, which were foon painted and paid for: and with the money, Tom cloathed his family in a decent man⚫ner, and took a first floor in Covent Garden, to which I fend all my acquaintance.

If you are defirous of being thought a encourager of merit in your countrymen, Mr. BABBLE, you will warmly recommend them, and endeavour to convince men of fortune and fashion,

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